“I Was Almost Scared”: Jayson Tatum Expresses Painful Regret Over Kobe Bryant, Promises Not to Repeat the Same With LeBron James

Published 01/26/2024, 12:06 PM EST

The 26th of January, 2024, marks the four-year anniversary of Lakers’ icon Kobe Bryant’s tragic death. The Black Mamba is remembered for being one of the most influential basketball players, with young players and aspiring hoopers looking up to him. His relentless work ethic and constant pursuit of greatness have served as a source of inspiration for countless individuals, extending beyond basketball into other disciplines, too.

Kobe’s death sent shockwaves in the NBA community, with many being inconsolable due to the unfortunate circumstances. Celtics’ star Jayson Tatum was one of them, and in a recent interview with Andscape, he revealed his big regret regarding Kobe’s death. He said, “I can’t believe that he’s not here anymore. And the thing that I regret is I wish I would’ve called him more. I wish I would’ve texted him more. But I was almost scared. I can only imagine all the things he has going on. I don’t want to bother him. And obviously after what happened, I wish I would’ve reached out more.”

Having learnt from his past experience, Tatum revealed that he doesn’t hesitate to ask and learn from LeBron. He said, “Now I don’t hold back with older guys in the league now, like ’Bron. ’Bron is somebody that I text and call a lot, and it could be from basketball to how to take care of your body to business decisions off the court.”

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Tatum is among several present-day superstars who sought guidance from Kobe. Current Knicks’ star Julius Randle, Gordon Hayward, D’Angelo Russell all looked up to the “Mamba”. As one of the greatest of the organization, the Lakers have decided to honor Kobe’s unique legacy on 8th February, 2024.

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Lakers to honor Kobe Bryant with a statue

The Los Angeles Lakers plan to honor the Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant by erecting a statue outside the arena where he spent the majority of his illustrious career. This announcement was made on 24th August 2023, which is also known as the “Kobe Day”. They have decided to unveil Kobe’s statue on 8th February 2024 – a nod to his iconic jersey numbers of 8 and 24.

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The bronze statue is set to be unveiled in Star Plaza, outside the Crpto.com Arena. Kobe will become the 7th Laker to be honored with a statue, joining the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Chick Hearn. What are your thoughts on the gesture made by the Lakers? Let us know in the comments below!

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Written by:

Dushyant Singh is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. His basketball script journey began in 2020 when he was captivated by the Los Angeles Lakers? triumphant NBA championship win. Before that he was merely dribbling and dunking as a boy next door.

Edited by:

Bilal Handoo

“I Was Almost Scared”: Jayson Tatum Expresses Painful Regret Over Kobe Bryant, Promises Not to Repeat the Same With LeBron James

Lakers to honor Kobe Bryant with a statue

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